Container Grown Hyacinths: How To Plant Hyacinth Bulbs In Pots

Hyacinths are famous for their pleasant fragrance. They also grow very well in pots, meaning once they’re in bloom you can move them wherever you’d like, perfuming a patio, a walkway, or a room in your house. Keep reading to learn about how to plant hyacinth bulbs in pots.

How to Plant Hyacinth Bulbs in Pots

Container grown hyacinths are not difficult to grow. Hyacinths bloom in the spring, but their bulbs take a long time to establish roots, which means they should be planted in autumn.

Pick out enough containers that your bulbs can fit in them close together but not touching. Numbers will vary with the size of your bulbs, but this should equal about 7 bulbs for an 8-inch container, 9 for 10-inch pots, and 10 to 12 bulbs for 12- to 15-inch containers.

Try to group bulbs of the same color in the same container, or else they might bloom at drastically different times and give your container a thin, unbalanced look.

Lay a 2-inch layer of potting material in the bottom of the pot, moisten it, and lightly pat it down. Gently press the bulbs into the material with the pointed end facing up. Add more potting material, pressing it down gently, until just the tips of the bulbs are visible.

Caring for Hyacinths in Containers

Once you’ve planted your bulbs, keep the containers in a dark place below 50 F. (10 C.). If you live in an area that doesn’t get colder than 25 F. (-4 C.), you can leave them outside. Keep light off the containers by covering them in brown paper or garbage bags.

In the spring, begin gradually exposing the containers to light. After a few weeks, the bulbs should have produced 3-5 shoots. Move the containers to full sun and let them bloom.